site.btaSharp Rise in Election-Related Arrests and Vote-Buying Reports Ahead of April 19 Vote

Since the start of the campaign for the early parliamentary elections on April 19, a total of 225 people have been detained in Bulgaria on suspicion of election-related crimes, compared to 42 during the 2024 parliamentary elections, acting Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Georgi Kandev said here on Wednesday.

Kandev visited the town of Haskovo together with caretaker Interior Minister Emil Dechev and caretaker Social Policy Minister Hasan Ademov in connection with an inspection into alleged illegal campaigning linked to the distribution of social benefits.

A total of 1,291 reports of vote buying and selling have been received, compared to 234 in the previous parliamentary elections. Pre-trial proceedings have reached 364, up from 64 in 2024, while 3,175 warning protocols have been issued, compared to 848 in the previous elections, Kandev added.

He summarized that the increase across these indicators ranges between 250% and 400%.